Medieval Mdina Festival

Last weekend the Silent City hosted the annual Medieval Mdina Festival. It is, as the name implies, a celebration of medieval life – with a lot of pomp and pageantry thrown in. For two days re-enactors in period costumes roam the streets while different activities take place around Mdina. This year I particularly enjoyed a breath-taking show by a group of Italian sbandieratori (flag throwers).

Other events that took place included art exhibitions, human chess games, jousting and a falconry display. The entrance fee to museums and other places of interest was reduced. The Medieval Mdina Festival has become a permanent fixture in our events calendar and draws hundreds of tourists and locals to the old capital.

Jousting and jostling humanity aside, there is a lot more that is medieval about Mdina than this annual festival but, in the general commotion that such an event creates, it is easy to overlook them. So let me take you on a small ‘guided tour’ of the medieval parts of this little city.

I have already written about the early history of Mdina in They Called Me Maleth, And Then Melite, and They Came, They Conquered And They Called me  Medina. My next installment in Mdina’s story would have touched the medieval era but  I will leave the historical  facts for another time. In reality a great part of the buildings that made up medieval Mdina were destroyed by an earthquake in 1693. Subsequent replacements were built in the Baroque style. So finding traces of the middle ages is not as easy as it might sound but they do exist.

Palazzo Falson – a two-storey medieval palace with rooms built around an internal courtyard.

 

The Jewish Silk Market

 

St Peter’s monastery – (formerly St Peter’s hospital) convent to an order of cloistered Benedictine nuns since 1430.

 

Casa Inguanez – a medieval palace that  occupies an entire block and is home to Malta’s oldest aristocratic family. In 1432, King Alfonso V of Spain and Sicily stayed here while visiting the island.

 

Palazzo Santa Sofia – purported to be the oldest existing building in  Mdina, a building in the Siculo-Norman style. The ground floor of this building is said to have been built in 1233.

But apart from the palaces and the churches the true medieval identity of Mdina can be better seen in the houses of the ‘common folk’. The small doors and tiny windows, usually situated on a higher storey, are reminiscent of an age when pirate attacks were common and every household had to defend itself in the best way possible.

I always find it fascinating that, even with hundreds of visitors thronging its streets, I was still able to find silent streets and quiet nooks. The festival and re-enactments are interesting but, for me, it is the lure of the Silent City itself which never ceases to fascinate me. Because no matter how many times I walk through those narrow, winding streets, I always find something new that draws my eyes upwards or downwards. With each visit I learn a new secret and this tiny, walled city continues to ensnare me in its mesh of spells.

Dear Dom

I have written many times about the history of this island and a few times about our culture and traditions. Yet I have failed to talk about the people, historical or otherwise, who have, for better or worse, molded Malta into what it is today. Dominic Mintoff, or Dom Mintoff as he was more popularly known, was one such person. He is a man from our recent history, a former prime minister, a man now in his mid-nineties. Dear Dom is a feature documentary by Pierre Ellul that was released in our cinemas on March 23rd. It highlights the career of a man who both made and destroyed Malta.

That the film has sparked controversy is probably an understatement. The name Dom Mintoff strikes a cord with the majority of the population who is over 35. It is a name that is loved in some quarters (perhaps adulated would be a better word) and loathed in others; a name that sparks heated debates to this very day; a name that will generate a host of emotions except one – indifference. Mintoff is the man who single-handedly created a great political divide in this country. Many of our younger generations say they feel cheated because at school our history books seem to stop at around the time Malta became independent in 1964. They say that all they know about the man  is through hearsay and not founded in historical fact. The truth is that this man left a wound in this island which is still raw, a wound that not many people want to talk about because of all the emotions attached to it. This feature documentary will hopefully give those that want to know more about this man the unbiased information they are looking for. I am one of those that lived through the days when his power was at its most oppressive, when he befriended the likes of Gaddafi and Ceausescu. Hero or villain? Reformer or oppressor?  I have an opinion about the man and I could write more, much more, about his life and times.  But I think that, in this case, it is wiser to let history be the judge.

For those of you that want to learn more about the the making of this feature documentary please go here.

The Breakwater Bridge

 

This is the new breakwater bridge. The first one was destroyed during an attack by Italian E-boats in July 1941. The E-boats did not manage to enter the harbour – the guns stationed at  Fort St Elmo and Fort Ricasoli (situated at either end of the harbour) made sure of this. During the attack, the bridge suffered considerable damage and was deemed unsafe. In October 2011 this new bridge, constructed in Spain, replaced the former structure. As yet, it is not accessible to the public.

 

The foundations of the breakwater were laid in 1903 but the history of the harbour goes back much further than that.

On a beautiful morning in mid-March we walked the winding part beneath Fort St Elmo in an attempt to get to the bridge. However we found the last part of the path to be blocked. It did not matter – we made plenty of other interesting discoveries on the way. Beautiful scenery,rusty gun posts,  the blue sea, wild flowers, fossils … it would have been perfect were it not for the crumbling fort above our heads. It makes me sigh, and hope, that one day, Fort St Elmo will be restored to its former glory. Its glorious past deserves nothing less.

Photographed at

St Elmo Point

Valletta

March 2012

Wildflowers Of Malta – Hoary Stocks

This wildflower (known in Maltese as Gizi) is not endemic to the Maltese islands. It was introduced in the last 500 years and may be found sporadically around the island. Its Latin name is Matthiola incana and it is of the  mustard cress family. Hoary stocks flower between March and May.

I found this particular plant in a most unusual place – underneath the forbidding walls of Fort St Elmo in Valletta. It was all but hidden in the rest of the vegetation but I did not miss its small, vibrant purple flowers peeping out from amongst the rest of the foliage along the path.

Hoary Stocks

Photographed in Valletta

March 2012

I am indebted for all information regarding wild flowers and plants of Malta to the excellent and informative website Malta Wild Plants.

The Staircase At Verdala Palace

Verdala Palace is the official summer and holiday residence of the President of Malta. It is not normally open to the public but every couple of years or so an open weekend is held. Naturally, thousands of people flock to this historic place. It has been a while since we had the opportunity to visit so these photos are from my archives. I had written a post about the palace and about the Blue Lady that is said to haunt it here. Today I am going to focus on one of the palace’s most unique and beautiful features: its main staircase.

The staircase is elliptical and was designed by Maltese architect Girolamo Cassar, who was also responsible for a number of other magnificent buildings. It is said, that to give it its unique design, no two stones are the exact same size. This staircase is a prime example of Baroque architecture  - a style that was purposefully designed to be both grandiose and awe-inspiring. I am sure that this staircase does not disappoint in either respect.

 

For a view of the castle in 360 go here.

Verdala Palace

Buskett

X Miles To Nowhere (or Defaced Milestones)

Many visitors to these islands are intrigued when they see these defaced milestones. Some may wonder why these milestones have been defaced. It was not due to a thoughtless act of vandalism. These milestones were defaced during the last World War. During the worst of the war it was thought that an Axis invasion was imminent, so all existing milestones were defaced in the hope that any potential invaders would be confused as to their whereabouts. In some cases, even the name of the town was removed from the stone. Needless to say, in this day and age, such a precaution would be futile. These milestones still stand, serving as a reminder of a very different way of life.

Photographed at Fawwara

April 2011

They Came, They Conquered And They Called Me Medina

As the years passed the empire weakened and was split in two. For a while this island fell under the Eastern Roman Emperor at Byzantium. But trouble was brewing in the east. The Arabs were thirsty for land and conquest. Fuelled by their new faith, they spread across the Mediterranean like a swarm of locusts in a field of wheat. There were not many places that put up a fight. By 870AD Malta had a new overlord and, as for me, I became who I am today.  The Arabs decreased my size, dug a moat around me and built high walls for protection.

And they renamed me Medina. The narrow, winding streets that you see today have not changed much from that day to this but life changed drastically during those years. The Arabs brought with them a new culture, a new religion. Slowly, but surely, the native people took up these new traditions. Some did it of their own free will, others under duress. From my perch on these lofty bastions I surveyed the land below me and all the surrounding sea but, as yet, there was no power strong enough in the Mediterranean to overthrow the Hakem, the ruler of the island.

But something in my bones told me that the status quo would not last forever. If I had learnt one thing from my almost 2000 year existence it was that this sea is always in turmoil. As one power waned, another would rise up in its shadow. I knew that the winds of change would soon start to blow again and my story would unfold whichever way the fates dictated. All I could do was wait.

An American Windmill In Malta

There is probably not very much that the USA and  Malta have in common. But there is one structure that is a common feature in the rural landscapes of both countries. It is the humble windmill, or to use a more correct term, wind pump. These mills were used by farmers to pump water from deep under-ground to irrigate their fields. Some of these wind pumps are still in use although, sadly, many of them have been neglected and have fallen into a state of disrepair. I grew up with one of these windmills right opposite our house and I remember many a windy night that I fell asleep to the clanking sound of its steel frame. As a child I would watch the giant blades turning in the wind with a sense of awe. I hope that at least some of these American imports will be maintained for future generations to enjoy.

Photographed at

Chadwick Lakes

January 2012

Our Distant Past – Ghar Dalam

Ghar (the gh is silent) Dalam which literally translates to Cave of Darkness is one of the most important prehistoric archeological sites in Malta. The cave is about 144 metres deep but only the first 50 metres are accessible to visitors. In this cave, which is found on the outskirts of Birzebbuga, archeologists discovered the earliest evidence of human settlement on the islands. The remains found here date back 7400 years.

This column shows the different layers that were excavated

Excavations have revealed that the floor of the cave is made up of 5 different layers. In the lowest layers large quantities of fossilised tusks, teeth and bones were found. These remains were found to belong to species which are now extinct such as the dwarf elephant and dwarf hippopotamus. Other remains in subsequent layers were from red deer, brown bear, wolf, fox and giant swan. These animals are no longer found on the island and scientists believe that this proves that Malta once formed part of a land bridge connected to the European mainland. It is thought that after the last Ice Age the rising sea levels trapped the animals here and they slowly died out from lack of food once  Malta became an island.  Pottery shards and other human artifacts were retrieved from the uppermost layer of the cave.

Ghar Dalam is thought to have been formed by an underground river which, over time, wore away the soft limestone. The cave also has a number of stalactites and stalagmites. During WW2 it was used as an air raid shelter.

Prior to entering the cave there is a museum which houses hundreds of bone fragments from the animals mentioned above. There is also an explanation of the geological activity that took place in the Mediterranean following the last Ice Age.

For more detailed information about this fascinating site visit Heritage Malta.

Ghar Dalam Cave & Museum

Zejtun Road

Birzebbuga

Wildflowers Of Malta – Giant Fennel

 

Giant fennel (Ferula communis) is not a true fennel but is so named because it looks very similar to fennel. Giant fennel grows all over the Mediterranean, especially in the more arid areas. Here in Malta it is very common to see giant fennel growing on cliff tops – its bright yellow flowers providing a vivid contrast to the blue of the surrounding sea.

The plant flowers between March and early May after which seeds form on the umbels (the umbrella-like flowers). This plant is a perennial and easily grows to heights of 2.5 metres.

The sight of flowering giant fennel is a sure sign that  spring is on its way. The plant has anti-coagulant properties and can be toxic if ingested in large quantities or over long periods of time. In antiquity it was known as narthex and it is said to be the plant used by Prometheus to steal fire from heaven to give to mankind.

 

Photographed at

Dingli Cliffs, March 2010

and

Fawwara, April 2011